Hillary Clinton, George Soros receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Jan 06, 2025 at 11:38 AM CST

President Joe Biden bestowed the highest American civilian honor to some big names in politics, Hollywood and professional sports. — Image credit: Getty Images

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With two weeks left in his administration, President Joe Biden bestowed the highest American civilian honor to some big names in politics, Hollywood and professional sports. He awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to a total of 19 people in the east room of the White House on Saturday, Jan. 4.

Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton received the award.

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Actors Denzel Washington and Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and advocates for research, also received the Medal of Freedom.

Basketball star turned businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson was also a recipient.

Biden called them “truly extraordinary people who gave their sacred effort to shape the culture and cause of America.”

The awards were not without controversy.

Biden awarded a Medal of Freedom to Jewish billionaire George Soros. The 94-year-old Hungarian survived the Holocaust. Soros’ son accepted the medal on his behalf.

Many conservatives have often criticized Soros for being a mega-donor to liberal causes. X owner Elon Musk called the award to George Soros “a travesty.”

The president also gave out four medals, posthumously. They went to former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, American activist Fannie Lou Hamer and former U.S. Attorney General Robert Francis Kennedy.

Craig Nigrelli is an anchor and reporter for Straight Arrow. As the face of Unbiased Updates and Media Miss Minute, he delivers concise, impartial, fact‑based context grounded in 35 years of reporting and anchoring across major U.S. markets.

Tags: Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden

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WITH TWO WEEKS LEFT IN HIS ADMINISTRATION, PRESIDENT BIDEN OVER THE WEEKEND BESTOWING THE HIGHEST AMERICAN CIVILIAN HONOR ON SOME BIG NAMES FROM POLITICS TO HOLLYWOOD TO PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.
GIVING OUT THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM TO A TOTAL OF 19 PEOPLE IN THE EAST ROOM, OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE AND 2016 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE HILLARY CLINTON RECEIVED THE AWARD.
ACTORS DENZEL WASHINGTON AND MICHAEL J. FOX, WHO IS A PARKINSON’S DISEASE SUFFERER AND ADVOCATE FOR RESEARCH, ALSO RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF FREEDOM. AS DID BASKETBALL GREAT TURNED BUSINESSMAN EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON.
BIDEN REPEATEDLY THANKED THEM.
[PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN :”and for the final time i have bestowing the honor of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on THE a group of extraordinary, truly extraordinary people, who gave their sacred effort, their sacred effort, to shape the culture and the cause of America,” ]
BUT THE AWARDS WERE NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY, BIDEN GAVE A MEDAL OF FREEDOM TO JEWISH BILLIONAIRE AND HUNGARIAN-BORN, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR 94-YEAR-OLD GEORGE SOROS. SOROS’S SON ACCEPTED THE MEDAL ON HIS BEHALF. MANY CONSERVATIVES HAVE OFTEN CRITICIZED SOROS FOR BEING A MEGA-DONOR TO LIBERAL CAUSES. X OWNER ELON MUSK, WHO IS NOW CLOSE WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP, CALLED THE AWARD TO GEORGE SOROS, “ A TRAVESTY”

[ANCHOR]
THE PRESIDENT GAVE OUT FOUR MEDALS, POSTHUMOUSLY, INCLUDING TO FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY ASH CARTER, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER FANNIE LOU HAMER, FORMER MICHIGAN GOVERNOR AND HUD SECRETARY GEORGE ROMNEY, THE FATHER OF MITT ROMNEY AND ROBERT F. KENNEDY WHOM BIDEN CALLED ONE OF HIS TRUE POLITICAL HEROES. KENNEDY’S SON ROBERT F. KENNEDY JUNIOR IS PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S NOMINEE FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY. FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP

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